Meet Me Under the Weeping Willow
by theafic
Summary: Koko always waited for the day when her father would come out with the truth about their mother. Until then there was only bitterness welling inside her heart when she thought about him. Dorian was one of the liars she despised the most.
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary:**_ Koko always waited for the day when her father would come out with the truth about their mother. Until then there was only bitterness welling inside her heart when she thought about him. Dorian was one of the liars she despised the most.

**Disclaimer: **I am not a part of the Zelda / Nintendo franchise and neither do I own the characters.

* * *

_**Meet me under the weeping willow**_

**001.**

The leaves had turned a shade of yellow as they covered the grass. For each day that appeared, the weeping willow looked more miserable. Nature was slowly falling asleep as winter lurked behind the corner, and not many stopped by to pay their respects to their loved ones. Only a few every now and then. A young maiden snuck out at night to grieve for her lover, and a girl took cover in the rain, bawling her eyes out because her mother had left them without a goodbye.

Today there was another visitor passing by. The umbrella-hat covered most of his features. The bouquet he was carrying looked like it had been handpicked, and messily put together. He sank down onto one of his knees, gently dropping the flowers on the rocks.

The warrior was grateful to be alone this time around.

It wasn't often that he visited his wife's grave, but when he did, he preferred to be alone. The gruesome truth about his wife's passing was something Dorian would rather keep to himself than let his daughter know about.

Koko was their firstborn. When spring arrived with new life, she would turn six years old. Yet she already behaved like an adult, making sure her family never went a day without their stomachs full and looking after her younger sister like it was her own responsibility.

Cottla, the youngest of his children at nearly four, still lived in the fairy tale that her mother one day would return home.

But Koko didn't buy the lie like her sister did, and it made it harder for Dorian to keep up his façade around his daughters.

They were already suffering enough as it was. With the threat of his former allies looming over their head, he had other things to worry about.

How ironic it was that they still had such power over him, even though he had left so many years back.

One mistake and one of his daughters, if not both of them, would be torn from him.

They were still in danger, and before the organization was wiped out completely he would not rest.

* * *

The rain drummed against the window-sill, not showing any signs of ending soon. It was heavy, and Koko could barely see through the window of the inn she usually found shelter inside when the downpour was too heavy. The inn-keeper didn't seem to mind the sudden influx of visitors, because he only looked half awake, and the young girl doubted he would even care if people used his hotel without paying him any rupees.

There had always been an unwritten rule that Sheikah always took care of each other as if they were family, thus the bonds between the members of the small clan were powerful.

"When is it ending? I wanna go out and play!" her sister whined for what felt like the thousandth time. She pushed herself up from the bed she had been lying on, and took the spot beside Koko.

"Why is daddy out there in the rain?" Despite knowing that Dorian wouldn't notice his girls staring at him through the steamed-up window, she waved at him.

"Because he is working."

"But why?"

"Because he has to."

"Why though?"

"Can you stop asking? I don't know!" The older girl sent her younger sister an irritated glare. Cottla's smile transformed in an instant into a pout and with a huff she crossed her arms above her chest, looking away from her older sister.

Of course it tugged a little on her heartstrings, seeing how Cottla's lower lip started to tremble. She could become so noisy with all of her questions, and during the past year it had become unbearable.

It was a sign that her sister was growing up. She could communicate better, and tell Koko what she wanted, and what was wrong. It was troublesome trying to guess what was on her mind before, and when it wasn't the right answer Cottla would start bawling or get upset. It happened rarely, but sometimes she reverted back to anger. She was taking after their father's physique, so it was tiring when her sister was rather big for her age, and already close to Koko's height and strength.

It was a blessing for both Koko and Dorian that she spoke more fluently each day and practiced her speech by asking questions, even if it became too repetitive at times.

"Tomorrow you'll be four years old. I can make you a cake, if you want one?" Koko let out a sigh, knowing she had to make it up to her for unfairly snapping at her. The pout didn't disappear, but Cottla nodded at the idea. The mention of her birthday coming up seemed to brighten her mood a little.

"The apple thing you made was yummy."

"The one with honey, you mean?"

She nodded, and Koko could only swallow, remembering that she had used up their supply of honey the last time she had made her mother's delicious recipe, apples in honey.

"I know where you can find honey."

"You haven't been up in the forest again, have you?"

Her sister remained quiet for a moment, looking down at her hands instead, as she shook her head.

_Liar. _

"You know there are dangerous creatures in there, right?"

"It is just a lie to keep us away from the forest. There is a nice fairy there who cries every day because someone took her money, but no ghosts!" Cottla hushed into her ear, as if she was afraid someone might eavesdrop on their discussion.

And she had her reason to suspect that. After all, they weren't allowed to go up to the mountains alone. The adults were not afraid of spreading the words of what mischief the youngest members of their clan were up to. Word travelled fast within the small community, and if one knew it wouldn't take much longer before word reached their father.

"I don't wanna go there anyways." Koko shook her head, the whole idea of visiting the forest made her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. The only thing she could think of was the crying lady in the forest. Be it a fairy or a ghost, none of it sounded pleasant to her ears.

"Then Cottla will go alone."

"No!" Her voice rose a few pitches, and at the sudden outburst and a few heads turned their way. The hotel owner opened one of his eyes, then brought his index finger to his lips to hush them before he lost consciousness again.

The small girl gave the others a weak, apologetic smile and they all turned their attention back to their own business.

"If something happens to me mom will protect me." Cottla whispered.

"Alright. But just this once and only to get the honey." The older girl sighed in defeat. Hating how her younger sister seemed to have her wrapped around her little finger. She always got what she wanted. "But if I follow you there tonight, you have to promise me one thing: never go there alone again!"

"Okay?" her sister gave her a meek smile, and Koko knew that she wasn't going to keep the promise.

* * *

Her arms were wrapped tightly around her sister, and her eyes constantly darted from left to right. Branches broke beneath their feet and the wet grass felt cold against their skin. The chirping of the birds echoed through the air like music.

"Where is the crying ghost?" Koko squinted her eyes at her sister, who just threw her head back in laughter.

"Not here, but if we go that direction you will hear her." Cottla pointed to her left, and Koko's grip around her arm tightened even more, fearing their steps would lead them there. "She lives in a huge onion not far from here."

"No wonder she is upset." She raised one eyebrow high enough it almost reached her short silver bangs. "I cry too when I peel onions."

"You said it was dust inside your eyes." Cottla narrowed her eyes at her.

"Where is the honey?" She flinched as she suddenly heard footsteps behind her, only to notice it was a squirrel running towards a tree and up into the mess of green leaves.

Bees buzzed around the beehive, which hung at the edge of the branch, their yellow and black bodies guarding their tiny home.

"Can you let go now?" Cottla tried to jerk away her grasp, and that was when Koko noticed how tightly she was holding her. Her skin was darker and redder from where her fingers had dug into her.

"How do we get it down?" She ducked away as the buzzing echoed close to her, shaking her head to scare the insects away.

"Like this." Fearlessly, Cottla bent down to fetch a stone. The first one didn't even touch the hive, neither the second or third. But Cottla improved her aim each time, and the fourth one was enough to make the branch shake.

The buzzing suddenly stopped.

Then, much louder than they had been, the bees swarmed the girls. A cry escaped through her when the first needle buried into her skin, the pain drew tears to her eyes and she regretted ever listening to Cottla.

"RUN!" Her younger sister brushed past her, bumping her shoulder as she went.

Poor Koko was not quick enough, and unlucky too as the branch beneath her feet wrapped around her shoes, causing her body to crash into the grass. Helplessly she watched her sister's silhouette disappear into the distance.

* * *

Her body was throbbing in pain, and she found it hard to bend her fingers. The joints around her fingers felt swollen and like balloons. If one poked it with a needle, would it burst?

She bit her trembling lower lip hard, but it wasn't enough for her to keep away the sobs. Luckily, there was none there to watch her cry.

So she sank down at the ground, and hugged her knees close to her body hoping the pain would soon go away and leave her alone.

A whistle caught her attention and her eyes scanned around for the source of the sound. Up on a branch sat a man, leaning against the tree trunk. His belly was round and stretched the fabric, a fury mane covered his shoulders and his black spiky hair was tied into a ponytail. Koko had never seen him before, but the symbol on his mask looked very familiar. Despite it being upside down, it was still the same as the eye of Sheikah which was engraved all over her home village.

"Hello!" he greeted.

The girl could only stare at him wide-eyed. She hadn't seen a trail of him before, and she had been sure there was no sign of a human being in the forest when she arrived. It was like he had appeared out of nowhere, if he hadn't been there all the time quietly watching her.

The thought made her grow cold inside, and she looked away from the stranger as if he didn't exist. _Don't talk to the stranger._

"If you want the honey, come and get it!" the man waved to her to come closer. But the young Sheikah hesitated. The buzzing sound of the bee swarm was not welcoming. And the man hovering above on the branch didn't look that friendly either.

She took a step backwards instead, shaking her head.

"You're not afraid of these small bugs, are ya?" the masked man let out a dramatic gasp at the realization.

Koko could only nod.

She held her throbbing hand up in the air. Though the girl was unsure whether he could see anything with his eyes covered up.

"Ouch, it looks like you're in a lot of pain." He tilted his head to one side, speaking with a soft murmur. "But you're handling it well. Most children bawl their eyes out when they get a tiny bruise or cut. You're brave."

The corners of her mouth tilted upwards into a tiny, weak smile. She suddenly felt better, having been complimented. One of the first adults who didn't look down on her with pity. It was a refreshing feeling.

The stranger leapt towards the ground before her, losing his balance and landing on his butt instead. He let out a wince, carefully massaging his bum as he got up onto his feet. His hand travelled to the handle of a knife he was wearing.

The small girl let out a small shriek and took a few steps back from him. He seemed to have noticed the mistake and instead slowly held up his hands for her to see they were empty.

"See, I am not a dangerous person."

"I don't believe you!"

"You don't have to, but I think you need the honey for something, so I thought it would be nice of me to do you a favor. I'm going to cut it down myself for you. Do you want it, or not?"

Koko nodded.

"Good, I need my knife to cut the insects and their nest otherwise my hands might end up looking like yours."

With a swift movement the blade had buried into the trunk and the nest had landed onto the grass below. Koko could feel the color disappear from her face when she saw the cloud of furious bees grow above their fallen home. The buzzing was much louder than before, and she had the urge to flee, but the man cut them off with a series of quick movements with his arms.

"Go and get what is yours."

* * *

"What do you mean there is a ghost living in this forest?" The man, who had introduced himself as Kohga, asked. "Who on earth tells such stories to children?" He crossed his arms before his chest tilting his head.

"Daddy does, he doesn't want us to come up here." Koko replied.

"And why is that? There is nothing here to be afraid of. Look at this place, all the flowers and the trees. I don't see why you shouldn't be allowed to come here."

Koko only shrugged her tiny shoulders, her gaze following a firefly who seemed to have woken from its slumber. The breeze was getting chillier, as the sun was setting behind the mountains.

"Also, how on earth are you going to find anything to use for your recipes if you don't ever leave the village?"

"I always have to wait for merchants or for big brother Link to come and visit. It's not fair to ask him to lend me ingredients. He needs them himself."

"Big brother Link?"

"He isn't really my brother, but he behaves like one. He helps a lot with the cooking, and plays with Cottla."

"Are you talking about the champion?"

"What is a champion?"

There was a moment of silence. Kohga placed one of his hands on the top of her head.

"I'll tell you what a champion is, if you want to know. But prepare yourself for a very long and nasty story with no good end." His voice grew a few tones darker at the end and the girl couldn't help but wonder if she wanted to hear any ghost stories at this hour. Especially not when the forest was starting to get darker, and the trees were casting creepy shadows around them. But she found it impolite to say no.

"Once upon-," he started with a dramatic voice, but before he had time to continue they could hear a ruffle in the bushes.

"HEY!" a familiar voice made their heads turn around. A few meters behind them stood none else than Dorian himself.

The look on his face sent a shiver down her spine. She almost wanted to take cover behind the masked stranger to avoid the bewildered gaze on her father's face. His eyes held none of the warmth she was used to, all she saw was an icy storm. Nostrils flaring, his jaw clenched.

"Get your filthy hands off of her," he hissed, his knuckles whitened as the grip around the handle of his katana tightened, "or I'll cut them off with my blade."

"Oops…!" the masked man let out a squeak, and jerked away his hand as if he had burnt himself on her. A cackle left him and he leapt away from them. Whether it was a hysterical laughter or if he was just being playful Koko didn't know, it was impossible to decide when she could not see his expression.

"Is this how you greet an old friend, Dorian? How rude!"

"You're no friend of mine." Dorian's footsteps were heavy and fast when he rushed over to her side. "Don't you ever dare touch my child again, or I will make you regret it!" Koko felt a warm and big hand on her shoulder as she was tugged closer to her father's side.

"Wait a moment, is this your kid?" The masked man rested his chin between his thumb and index finger, like he was in deep thoughts: "thinking of it, she does reminds me a little of that woman you married years ago. What was her name again? I am afraid it must have slipped my mind."

Koko blinked: "Do you know my mommy?"

"Oh yeah, I used to know her. A wonderful lady, with a big heart and some real culinary skills. Such a shame, I wonder what-"

"Koko, don't listen to him." Her father glanced down at her from the corner of his eye. "He is filling your head with lies!"

"But he knew mommy!" she cried in disbelief. If he knew her mother, just maybe she could get the answer her father never wanted to give her. The gaping hole in her chest felt endless and suffocating, the lies dug it deeper and one day it would touch the other side of her, leaving a small window.

Dorian's grip on her shoulders tightened and he recaptured her gaze. The anger was now gone. It was replaced by a familiar sadness she was used to seeing whenever he spoke about their mother.

"No, he didn't. He only says so because he is trying to manipulate you. Don't trust strangers." He pleaded, shaking his head violently. Koko felt warmth covering her ears, she let out a cry and her fingers dug into his skin.

The masked man shook his head and let out a snort.

"Me? Lying? Pfff!" Kohga waved away the comment as if it were an annoying bug. "You should take a long hard look in the mirror, and ask yourself who the real liar is."

"SHUT IT!" The roar was enough for her to flinch, and for her eardrums to ring. "I HAVE HEARD ENOUGH, GET LOST AND DON'T YOU EVER COME NEAR ME OR MY FAMILY AGAIN!"

"As you wish. So long, my old friend and it was a wonderful pleasure to meet you… Koko!" Before she had a chance to beg him to wait he had disappeared with a cloud of smoke.

For once she was thankful for the darkness of the forest. She didn't want to face her father now.

"Let's go home. Cottla must be worried sick about us." He let out a sigh of relief, but she could feel his hand trembling on her shoulder blade. She made an attempt to shake off his hand, but he didn't let go. It was almost as if he was afraid she would disappear too. Koko let an annoyed grunt escape her, and she tried to run away from him, but he had already wrapped his arms around her tiny frame and scooped her up into his arms. A cry escaped her and she started kicking in the air around her.

"_You should take a long hard look in the mirror, and ask yourself who the real liar is."_

The man they met seemed to know about his secret.

"She comes here all the time to look for mommy. She thinks mommy is playing hide and seek with her." And one day she would understand it wasn't a game anymore. She would never find mother again, because she was gone and their father kept lying.

Cottla was turning four tomorrow, and she would soon start to understand what was going on. It made her heart sink to the pit of her stomach when she thought about her sister.

"You're a liar. I wanna know why mommy doesn't come home."

"Koko..."

Her foot hit him in the stomach over and over. It was soft, yet it hurt her more than him. Or Dorian was just good at not showing his pain to her. "One day I will tell you both, but now is not the right time."

"_When_ is the right time?"

She didn't receive a reply, and she knew it wasn't worth it asking again. He was stubborn as a mule, and she knew he wouldn't reply to her anymore. Instead Dorian lifted her up in a hug, as he started to walk back towards the village. He held her close, and Koko sank into the warm embrace.

**To be continued…**

* * *

_**A/N: **__This is def one of my favorite npcs of the whole Zelda franchise. I cried a lot when I played the side quest Koko's kitchen and the other side quest with Dorian. A shame that the family never got the closure they needed in the game. But that is why I was so inspired to start this story in the first place._

_Also I hope my portrayal of children is somehow realistic. I have worked a lot with toddlers and kindergarteners, but I am still super insecure about how to write their inner monologue._

_Leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter, comments and feedback give aspiring writers motivation to continue writing._

_**Update 18/8/2019: **__The chapter was edited by my new beta reader __**myochiikurin. **__Thank you!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Summary:**_ Koko always waited for the day when her father would come out with the truth about their mother. Until then there was only bitterness welling inside her heart when she thought about him. Dorian was one of the liars she despised the most.  
**Disclaimer: **I am not a part of the Zelda / Nintendo franchise and neither do I own the characters.

* * *

_**Meet me under the weeping willow**_

**002.**

Koko flinched as her father dabbed a damp cloth on her bruised and dirty skin. It had taken everything to keep her eyes open when they returned back home. Her usual robes were thrown in a pile on the floor. The girl felt frozen as she sat there in only her navy thin top and underpants. The stinging on her skin was enough to keep her wide awake. She let out a whine:

"Ouch! It hurts!"

"Of course it hurts, you are covered in bee stings. Sit still, Koko!" Dorian muttered as she tried to snake herself away from his grip.

"No, I don't wanna." She shook her head. "I'm tired."

"It hurts and you're tired, I know, but try to hold out for a little longer." He sighed, kneeling down to her level. She turned her head to avoid his gaze and luckily for him he took the hint and kept quiet as he worked. Neither of them seemed to want to lighten up the mood, Koko was fighting back yawns and winces. Whatever her father was thinking about, she had no idea, but she could swear it was nothing positive. His hands were still trembling, as they rested on her legs, washing the wounds she'd gotten from falling over the branch.

The snoring of her sister reminded her that she was back home and safe, even if she knew her father would scold them both for not listening to him.

The way he had roared at her new friend made a shudder travel down her spine. Koko only hoped that whatever she had done today wouldn't cause a similar reaction from him.

It was impossible to imagine a man like him lose his temper like he had. He hadn't even raised his voice at them for months, and when their mother was around it was her job to keep them in line, while he focused on his duties as Lady Impa's guard.

"Why did you scare him away?" She asked as her thoughts brought her back towards the encounter in the forest.

Her father gave her a quick glance before returning his attention back to cleansing her bruised legs: "I did it to protect you." He answered with a low voice.

"Protect me? But why?" Koko asked, her hands rested on her knees as she leant forwards in the chair.

"He is not a good man, and I am afraid he might end up hurting you." He replied, and the young child kept looking at him wide eyed.

Protect her from what? The way Kohga had spoken to her so gently and understanding, she couldn't see him as the villain her father tried to paint him as. If it wasn't for him, her whole body would be swollen and red from stings and cuts, and she wouldn't have brought anything back for her younger sister. If anything, Kohga's presence had made her feel safer.

"So tell me, why were you up in the mountains? Even after I told you many times not to go there?" Her father looked up at her, something flared in his dark eyes and his bushy eyebrows furrowed. "It isn't like you to disobey me like this."

Koko motioned towards the beehive, laying on the table. A yellow, sticky substance dripped out from the opening. Dorian let out a withdrawn sigh at the sight of it. She guessed he was thinking about the amount of work he had to go through scrubbing the table clean.

"I thought Link gave you some of it last time he visited?" He asked his daughter, but she just shrugged innocently.

"I used it all and he's not here now."

"It doesn't mean that I want you near the forest. I've told you many times about the ghost." His eyes widened and he pursed his lips open, letting out a playful and ghostlike whistle.

Koko didn't find it funny at all.

"Stop it!" She gave him a dirty look and leant far away in her seat. "There are _no _ghosts and I hate liars, like you, the most."

His childish grimace washed off his face, and his expression went blank.

"Did that man tell you that?" he asked, and Koko felt a small pang of guilt in her chest. She knew how much he loved to tell them the story every chance he got. She bit her lip, nodding her head carefully.

"What else did he tell you?"

"It's a secret."

"Koko…" he pleaded. "I need to know. Is he responsible for this?" He motioned towards the bruises covering her arms and legs.

"No," she shook her head, "daddy, you have secrets too." She pouted, folding her arms over her chest. To her chagrin, she could see the corners of his mouth turn upwards into a grin.

"Adults have a lot of secrets, alright?" He admitted, resting his chin between his index finger and thumb. "How about we make a deal? I'll tell you about mommy, if you tell me about the man?"

"Wait… W-what?! Will you really tell us about mommy? Today?"

"Not today."

"Will you tell us tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow, I don't want to ruin Cottla's day. But the day _after_ tomorrow I'll do it. It's a promise." He held out his pinky finger to her, but she could only look at him sceptically.

"You _always_ make promises, and then you break them." She said, wondering if this time would be any different. It was getting to the point where the lines between true and false melted together into one giant mess.

Koko knew he meant well. He was their father after all, and he loved them. He made time for them even during his busiest days, and when they woke up he sat by their bedside, head hanging forward as he snored loudly. Even if she swore she had fallen asleep in a sitting position, patiently waiting for him to get home from work, she would wake up laid down next to Cottla. He always moved her to a more comfortable position, yet he didn't complain about his own uncomfortable wooden chair.

He cared so much, but every time he gave the same excuses. It was like a punch in the gut, and that made the bitterness inside her heart grow.

"And this time I mean it for real," he said, giving her a genuine look, "I think it'd be best you finally know."

"But you said we'd have to be older before you tell us." Hesitantly, Koko reached out her hand to him.

"I changed my mind." He grabbed her by her finger, squeezing it gently with his. "Because I want you hear it from me rather than a stranger. Speaking of which, can you tell me what you both did?"

"We just talked and he helped me to get the honey."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, "you were away for quite a while, I looked for you everywhere."

"Really, that's everything that happened!" she exclaimed. Immediately Dorian hushed her, bringing her index finger to his lips and whispering:

"Okay, okay, I trust you. Let's not raise our voices, Cottla is sleeping."

"Sorry."

"We're finished here." He pushed himself up from the floor. "Let's get you to bed." Koko glared at him as she felt his hand ruffle her silver hair, messing up her loose bun as a result.

Her arms shot up protectively, brushing his hand away.

With a meek good night, she rushed over to the bed and hid herself in the blankets before darkness overwhelmed the room. Despite Dorian trying to be as quiet as he could, she heard the familiar creak from his favorite wooden chair as he sat down.

Koko felt his lips brush against her forehead, and with a hushed goodnight the room became quiet.

"Daddy?" She craned her head towards him.

"Hmm?" With a yawn, he opened one of his eyes, leaning against the back of his chair.

"If you break your promise, I'll _never_ trust you again." She turned back to face her snoring sister, and finally let her exhaustion conquer her mind.

Despite slowly and steadily losing consciousness, Koko could feel her father's gaze on the back of her head for a long time.

* * *

The drumming of droplets against the window-sill was enough for her to wake up. Koko shuddered and pulled the blanket closer around her body. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to fall asleep again. Cottla wasn't having it, though. Koko jolted up from the bed when she felt the weight of her sister on top of her.

"Rise and shine," Cottla chirped, "do you know what day it is today? Also, Cottla is hungry."

And then it struck her: how long had she been asleep? The wooden chair beside their bed was empty, which meant their father had already left for work. Usually he was the last one of them getting up, about noon.

"Aaah, I'm sorry!" she said in a panic, "I overslept. I'm so sorry Cottla."

"You're awake now." There was a rumbling coming from her stomach as she spoke, and Koko wrinkled her nose from the bad breath as her sister leant in close to her. "So hurry up, I am so very hungry!"

"But it's raining," she whined, fighting the urge to pinch her nose.

"But you promised!" Cottla's lower lip started to tremble once again, and her eyes looked glossy. She folded her arms over her chest, hanging her head downwards.

Guilt tugged on her heartstrings, and Koko cursed herself for sleeping in. This was a special day, and how on earth could she have let it start off like this?

"Okay." She sighed.

* * *

The apple dropped down to the ground, and she breathed sharply at the stinging feeling in her thumb, bringing it up to her mouth to suck on it. The metallic taste filled her mouth, and it didn't soothe her irritation any more.

Neither did her sister's constant pestering and questioning, but Koko had to remain calm and strong in front of her. It was Cottla's birthday, for crying out loud. It was unfair of her to snap at her for being hungry.

Mother never raised her voice at them, and without her it was Koko who had to be strong for Cottla's sake.

She picked up the apple and continued to peel, then cutting it into smaller pieces. The familiar scent of honey made the rumbling in her stomach even worse, but she ignored the feeling.

"Sorry, it will take some time." She reached out a hand with an apple for Cottla, who was almost hanging over the cooking pot. Her heart-rate accelerated and Koko knew she would blame herself if her sister ended up with a burn, so thought it better to keep her distracted with a little snack.

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach as she saw Cottla's eyes tear up. "What's wrong?"

"It smells like mommy's cooking." She sniffled. "I miss her so much."

"I miss her too." Koko looked away and down to the half cut fruits, which looked much better than last year, when she had helped her mother with Cottla's third birthday preparations. Their mother had had her hands full keeping her youngest child away from the dangerous knives and the steaming pot, so Koko had ended up doing the peeling and cutting. Her mother instructed her while she held the three-year-old tightly in her lap.

She bit her lip hard, not letting the memories affect her mood.

"Koko." Cottla wiped her teary eyes on her hand. "When is mommy coming?"

"I dunno," Koko said, trying to ignore how her grip around the knife handle had tightened. "She's busy." She scraped the finished pieces into the boiling mix.

"I'll go and get her!" Cottla decided, pushing herself up from the ground.

"But the food is ready and you promised me not to go there again." Koko had a strong feeling she wouldn't keep her word, she still felt betrayed when her suspicion turned out to be true.

"But I don't wanna eat if mommy's not here." Cottla whined. "Mommy loves this food."

"I know she does, but we'll go and look for her later, okay?" The last thing she wanted or needed was to go back to the forest to look for her sister.

"No!" Cottla glared at her, shaking her head. "I want mommy now!" She stomped on the ground with both her feet, and a trail of tears covered her cheeks.

"I know, but… but she's not here." Koko felt so helpless. She wanted to pull her sister into a hug, calm her down somehow. But if she did, she wouldn't be able to keep her own tears at bay. For Cottla she had to be strong. She was all the girl had left.

It wasn't fair.

Cottla would be devastated if she heard the truth, but keeping it from her made the older child feel so terrible. It was only a matter of time before she would understand why mother never came home, and then what would she think if both her sister and father had known the whole time but never cared to tell her?

Koko swallowed down the lump in her throat, blinking away tears. She focused her gaze on the pot again, trying to hurry up to get it finished before the younger girl had the chance to do something drastic, like running off to the mountains to hide.

Cottla was hungry and her hunger made her grumpy.

"I want mommy!" She sunk down on the ground, bawling loudly. "Mommy!"

"Don't cry," Koko pleaded, "we'll go and look for her later."

"Why is she always hiding from us?" Cottla hid her face in her knees, hugging them close to her as she trembled. "Doesn't she love us anymore?"

"Of course she loves us. Mommy just had to leave us behind." She hated how shaky and weak her own voice sounded.

"W-where… where did she go?" The four-year-old looked up from her knees, her bloodshot eyes wide. "I miss her so much. I want to go where she is!"

"I miss her too." With a sigh, Koko turned away from the pot and sunk down to her sister's level. "And I want to see her too, but we _can't_ go where she is!" She pulled her into an embrace, hoping she would calm down even a little.

"Why not?" Cottla's humid breath hit her ear.

"Because… because none of us know where she went," Koko whispered. "But we can go and look for her later."

"NO!" Cottla screamed, pushing her hard in the chest. Koko let out a sharp painful breath as she fell back.

"I wanna look for her NOW!"

"STOP IT ALREADY!" she shouted, her ears ringing. "Mommy can't come back. I miss her too." The tears blocked her view, and she just wanted to sink through the ground and hide away from the world.

Her back throbbed in pain, her stomach was rumbling like crazy, her skin was filled with bruises and bee stings and she felt exhausted.

"Sorry, I pushed you!" Cottla said with a sniffle. "I made you cry."

"I am not crying, I am just tired and hungry!" she hissed. She pushed herself from the ground and turned away. The scent from the honey and apples filled her nostrils. "The food is ready."

"It smells." Cottla cringed. "I don't wanna eat that!"

"Then don't eat it," Koko threw the spoon and her apron at the ground, making Cottla flinch.

She turned and ran before anyone had time to see her tears. In the distance she could hear her sister break out in uncontrollable sobbing, crying for her to come back.

* * *

"_It doesn't matter how it looks, Koko, the taste is most important." She felt her mother's hands resting above hers, gently guiding her way with the blade. Together they cut the rest of the vegetables cleanly and Koko's glance darted between her own pieces and the ones she and her mother had finished together. The difference made her want to sink through the ground. _

"_But Koko can't do it. Cottla doesn't wanna eat anything I make and mommy's cooking looks better." She muttered, feeling a pang in her chest as she remembered the look of disgust on her younger sister's face. _

"_Cottla is still young, she doesn't understand what she is saying and how it can hurt someone," her mother helped her scrape the cut pumpkin slices into the pot. "I understand it makes you feel discouraged, but you just have to keep on working hard. Let me tell you something."_

_Koko looked up at the woman hunched over her, the umbrella-hat cast a shadow over her face but the girl could still see her expression. Her dark brown eyes were slightly squinted in concentration. _

_Once her mother noticed her daughter's eyes burning into her, the frown disappeared. The dimples in her round cheeks grew deeper as the corners of her mouth pulled into a smile. _

"_The first time I tried to make something for your grandpa's birthday I was a little older than you. I ended up making him sick, and it took a long time before he trusted me again." She let out a chuckle._

_Koko stared at her, blinking a few times as she took in each word._

"_No way. Koko doesn't trust you!" The toddler shook her head violently, "mommy would never make Koko sick." _

_The woman just continued to laugh, her hand rested on the girl's head, toying with her short silver locks._

"_I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all the hard work I put into practicing and learning," she said, "so no matter what, keep on working hard and don't let Cottla or someone else bring you down, okay?"_

"_Okay."_

…

The first droplets landed on her head, and it didn't take long before the rest of the rain drops came running down. Dark clouds covered the sky, and the small girl found cover under the weeping willow. It wasn't much of a shelter, as most of the leaves had already fallen off and covered the grass with a layer of yellow and browns.

Autumn had been her mother's favourite time of the year, and Koko could only hope that wherever she was she would get the chance to enjoy it.

Was she lonely? Did she miss them? Did she know Koko always visited her? Would it make her less lonely she knew?

She let out a sniffle and hid her face in her knees. Her arms wrapped around them, and she hoped no one would come by and find her there. The Sheikah robe was waterproof, but yet the wetness in the air made her shudder.

Going home was no option.

It was easy to pretend as if everything was okay, and it made Cottla feel safer. With all his burdens and duties to their village it was unfair if she let her father know she was hurting.

How could she return home like this?

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Firstly, I want to thank you for the positive feedback__**. **__I'll continue to write and update every now and then when I have time. I don't have a clear schedule for when every chapter will be out, because you never know with life. _

_And as I said previously: leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter, story so far etc. I really love hearing your thoughts._

_Last but not least, thank you __**myochiikurin**__ for looking through the chapter and helping me out. _


End file.
